Open end mixer with cone having a seal for charging chute



P 30, 1953 1.. E. BROBERG 2,854,224

OPEN END MIXER WITH CONE HAVING A SEAQFOR CHARING CHUTE Filed Feb. 11, 1957 IN V EN TOR.

v LEONARD E..BROBER6 A-t-gonnav United State OPEN END MIXER WITH CGNE HAVING A SEAL FOR CHARGING CHUTE Leonard E. Broherg, Milwaukee, Wis assignor to The T. L. Smith Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application February 11, 1957, Serial No. 639,385

2 (Jlaims. (Cl. 259-161) This invention relates to open ended transit mixers or agitators and particularly to prevention of spillage from the charging cone.

In reducing the weight of transit mixers the industry has eliminated the rear closing door. This has given rise to the problem of eliminating leakage or spillage which tends to occur through the open end of the charging cone due to increased loads or surging of the load. Leakage between the cone and the drum is quite eflectively prevented by the blades when the drum is rotated in the mixing direction. There have been some eflorts to handle the leakage referred to but these efforts have been directed principally towards returning the leakage to the drum as opposed to the present arrangement which prevents the leakage.

From the above, it will be appreciated that the principal object of the present invention is to prevent leakage from the charging cone. To carry out this object I provide a simple, inexpensive seal carried by the cone and receiving the lower end of the charging hopper. The seal may be easily replaced and can readily accommodate movement between the parts of either radial or translutional nature.

In my copending application Serial No. 639,387 I show a form of the invention wherein the sealing mechanism is carried by the hopper.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out in, or be apparent from, the specification and claims, as will obvious modifications of the single embodiment shown in the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a rear view of a transit mixer provided with the present seal;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side view with parts broken away and parts in section to show the construction of the seal and hopper; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged view showing more details of the seal mounting.

Referring to the drawings now in detail, truck frame is provided with an inverted U-shaped channel frame member 12 on which brackets 14 are welded for interconnection by inverted angle iron 16. The angle iron is provided with hearing supports 18 which journal shaft 20 on which the chute brackets 22 are journalled for movement about the axis of shaft 20 as the linkage 24, 26 is actuated by hand wheel 28 move the chute hanger arms 30 pivotally connected to chute 32 through laterally projecting arms 34. This type of structure is rather conventional and forms no part of this invention except so far as it discloses a movable chute. Greater detail of a similar arrangement may be seen in Rockburg Patent No. 2,563,963.

Drum 36 is rotatably mounted in the frame for rotation about an upwardly and rearwardly inclined axis such as customarily employed in the high discharge type of mixer. The rear end of the drum is open and has charging cone 38 mounted therein centrally of blades 40, 42. These blades spiral throughout the length of the drum and serve to work the contents forward when the drum is rotated in the mixing direction and to work the contents to the rear of the drum for discharge when the rotation is reversed.

It will be noted that the rear end of cone 38 is provided with an inwardly turned flange 44 which permits mounting of the flexible annular seal 46 by means of screws 48 passing through the annular retaining ring 50 and the seal into flange 44. This seal as here shown is made of flexible belting but may be rubber or any other flexible material if desired. The hopper or chute 32 is formed to project into the lower portion of the opening centrally of the seal with the lower portion of the chute in contact with the seal to prevent leakage from the cone at any point below a horizontal plane passing approximately through the center of the cone opening.

The chute here is shown as being mounted for swinging movement to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2. Due to the radius on which the chute swings the chute can pass freely in and out on the cone opening by merely deflecting the seal slightly as it moves past the seal. It will be appreciated that this arrangement permits ready replacement of the annular seal if this should be necessary. Since low cost materials are used for the seal, the replacement cost is virtually negligible.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a truck mixer of the type having an open ended drum rotatably mounted in a fixed frame and having spiral blades on the interior thereof with a charging cone mounted centrally of the blades adjacent the open end of the drum, of means for preventing leakage from centrally of the cone, comprising, a flexible annular seal fixed to the rear end of the cone and projecting radially inwardly of the cone, a charging chute mounted on the rear of the frame and projecting into the cone through the seal, at least the lower portion of the chute contacting the seal to thereby prevent leakage from the cone.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which the chute is mounted for swinging movement on the frame and may enter and leave the cone by merely deflecting the seal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,994,010 Ball Mar. 12, 1935 2,572,058 Sarosdy Oct. 23, 1951 2,763,474 Smith Sept. 18, 1956 

